Our Mission

At Clam and Clasp our mission is to speak for the sea and share its beautiful creations. Our jewelry is handcrafted in California using only sustainably gathered seashells. Each piece tells the story of an ocean conservation initiative and we hope that our jewelry will inspire wearers to safeguard the world’s oceans, and spread awareness of the threats facing them.

20% of profits from each purchase go to an organization focused on ocean conservation. Each piece comes with a note that tells you more about the charity you’ve helped support. Learn more about our partner organizations here.

Although the sound you hear when you put a seashell to your ear may not actually be the ocean, our hope is that each time someone wears their Clam and Clasp jewelry, the ocean’s story will be heard through one of its beautiful gifts.

Watching waves crash on the shore or seeing the sunset on the horizon can be some of the most humbling and calming experiences. But the ocean offers so much more to us than a sense of peace and wonderment; it directly impacts our lives. As the Earth’s largest ecosystem, the ocean is our most significant life-supporting resource. Oceans hold 97% of the planet’s water, produce more than half of the oxygen in the air, and significantly reduce the impact of climate change by absorbing more than 40% of the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels.

Today, this incredible source of life is in crisis. Many of the dangers imposed upon the ocean are from human-based causes. From issues such as overfishing to climate change to plastics, humans are causing ocean ecosystems to collapse, marine species to become extinct and vital habitats to be destroyed.

Ocean conservation is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. Healthy oceans are key to current and future life on Earth. Luckily, there are many organizations that are working to prevent and mitigate the ocean crises. Learn more about some of these organizations and how you can be a part of their causes on our blog.

I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean. I remember going to the beach when I was a little girl and spending hours looking for shells while my sisters tried to convince me to come play with them. I even made my mom a pair of seashell earrings when I was ten years old, so I think my inspiration started at a very young age. As I grew older, I continued collecting seashells, and what started as a fun and exciting way to spend days at the beach, slowly became a stress reliever, a source of joy, and access to moments in which I feel totally at ease.

In July of 2017 I watched the film Chasing Coral, and was so moved by the message it relayed of the dangers facing our oceans. The moment I finished that film, I started researching ways I could get involved with ocean conservation. A couple months later, the idea that ten-year-old Janell had came back up. What better way to spread the word about ocean conservation than to create beautiful, wearable pieces that are literally a piece of the sea?

Clam and Clasp is my way of giving back to the ocean a small piece of what it has given me. I hope our jewelry will inspire you to speak for the sea, and share the struggles facing our ocean with others!